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I wrote my first ever blog three years ago, around this time. Instead of talking about my favourite moments of the year I’m going to commemorate this anniversary by listing my Top Ten Favourite Anime of all time. =D

From 10 to 1 here is my all-time top ten. =)

10. Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma (2015)

9. Locodol (2014)

8. No Game No Life (2014)

7. One Punch Man (2015)

6. Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? (2015)

5. Monster Musume (2015)

4. High School DxD (2012)

3. KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World! (2016)

2. New Game! (2016)

Non Non Biyori (2013)

That’s my list done. What’s your favourite anime? Feel free to comment and we can have a good chat. =D

I’m really enjoying my art as of late and I feel as though I’m getting better with each picture that I produce. Recently, I drew a picture of Freya from Danmachi and I’m very happy with how it ended up. It turned out really well because I chose to go back to the basics with my approach to both the colouring and shading styles. I feel that because I went back to the basics, it ended up being much more effective than I anticipated.

Subconsciously I think I put myself under unnecessary pressure to finish my illustrations as quickly as I can and that did take away some of the enjoying from the artistic journey. I took a step back upon my Freya picture and realised this so I told myself to slow down and when the pictures are ready to be complete, they will be complete.

Lately I’ve been doing these artistic projects where I’m drawing characters and sceneries for my family members. I’m enjoying doing projects for other people as it makes a nice change of pace but I don’t think I’m up for doing commissions for people that I don’t know just yet. Will my requested art meet their expectations? Will I be on a time limit? Anxious thoughts entered my head, especially regarding the time issue, so I always end up declining to avoid those self-pressure situations.

I think if I’m reassured that I can take my time with a project than I can probably do it and do it well. So, if anyone has a suggestion or if they have a picture that they’d like to see, just give me a shout. =)

Here is the list of My 8 Current Art in the Works

Claire Harvey(Hundred) – I’m attempting a 3D-ish type of colouring of Claire. Nothing really inspired me to give this a go, I just fancied a go. =D

Mi-Chan(High School Fleet) – I started this picture around the same time as Freya so the colouring and shading style will be more or less the same but with a background. =)

Saitama and Fubuki(One Punch Man) – I’m in the midst of doing a funny but affectionate dating scene between Saitama and Fubuki. I keep on laughing every time I focus on drawing this. XD

Atago(KanColle) – Atago at the beach. Originally I was going to use Galko-Chan in this summer scene but I saw this as an opportunity to draw Atago as I always wanted to draw her. =)

Fubuki(KanColle), Renge(Non Non Biyori) and Stera and Lotte(Atelier Shallie) – I’m doing a crossover to celebrate the fact that I earned my first ever Platinum Trophy on the PlayStation network. =D

Ikumi Mito(Food Wars!) – I really like Ikumi and it’s always fun to draw her, especially when she blushes.

Arnice and Lillysse(Nights of Azure) – I’m really enjoying playing the Nights of Azure game and I suddenly had the urge to draw these two girls. =)

Hotaru(Non Non Biyori), Wiz(KonoSuba) and Kirin(The Asterisk War) – A night scene with the girls and fireflies. I’m very excited about this one. =)

I think its human nature to get down in the dumps sometimes, and it’s happened to the best of us. It happens to me from time to time, especially when I’m tired or whenever I’m anticipating the thought of socialising with people.

Sometimes when I think about going out, it can trigger negative emotions in me. However, just because you feel sad or think sad doesn’t mean you should succumb to it. I can stop it, not by fighting those feelings, but rather, override them with the positives. And when I do, I end up feeling much better.

At the beginning of the year I had a throat and a chest infection. It was really bad and I had it for weeks. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t read or go on the laptop as it made me feel dizzy, I felt constantly sick and I couldn’t talk without coughing. All I could do was lie down. It wasn’t a very pleasant experience and it was the worst I had felt in years.

I didn’t like feeling sorry for myself so I ended up willing myself to draw. ‘One little sketch couldn’t hurt’ I thought… I ended up doing back to back drawings and actually completed a full length comic based on the DanMachi series. It was the first ever doujin (fanmade comic) I’ve ever completed. I was really happy and fulfilled with my comic and additional art and gradually, I felt myself getting better because I was ignoring my illness and indulging in my own happiness.

Since my recovery I achieved a number of other personal goals too.

I suddenly had the urge to re-write my first children’s picture book and I completed it in a single day. I’m really happy with it and I feel that it’s much better than ever before. It’s now currently in the editing stage where I’m getting the opinion of family and friends alike before publishing it on Kindle. =)

The other big achievement for me is that one of my pictures was featured in the Kitacon Karnival booklet this year. My brother encouraged me to email the picture over to them and I thought “why not?” so I submitted a picture of Kirin Toudou from The Asterisk War anime and to my surprise and delight it was in that book! =D This year’s Kitacon convention was good and I enjoyed it more than last year as I managed to be brave and speak to more people.

There has been lot of good things that has happened to. I cooked eggs benedict based on Erina’s recipe from the Food Wars anime, getting my first ever platinum trophy which I achieved on the Atelier Shallie game, creating a YouTube Vlog channel about Football and most recently I received a like on a Twitter post from the one and only Alan Shearer… that truly was a heart-stopping moment. =D

*

What I’m trying to say really is that you can take the positives from the negatives, even when you are really ill. I took one positive from the time when I wasn’t in the mood to think positive and it has led to a lot of wonderful things, especially new and fresh ideas for my book which is especially important.

I will always get anxious whenever I’m about to go out as it’s an instant emotion that takes over me, but I will always claim my mind back as I should be able to think what I want, and feel how I want.

Anyway, this is the strategy that works for me and I thought I’d just share it. Now, I’m going to go and draw and make a start on my Birthday list. =)

Usually when I’m under the weather I get the odd cold here and there, especially around Christmas. However, I’ve recently been under the curse of both a throat infection and a chest infection.

I’ve felt rather sick to the point where I felt dizzy when I was reading text and walking around the house. I’ve been chilling these last few weeks by watching stuff on TV. I’ve been watching Disney Films, White Chicks, Football, Marvel films, Jessica Jones, Only Fools and Horses and anime.

I do think I am on the mend as my appetite for food is gradually coming back and I can read text for longer periods. I can even draw on my tablet now a little bit which I’m very happy about. Not being able to draw or write did make me rather unhappy. To compromise I drew on paper for a couple of days, and I spent half an hour last night drawing Alice Nakiri from Food Wars! on the tablet. It turned out really good and I intend to use that Alice picture to be my profile picture on websites like MyAnimeList and Pixiv.

I still do have a few dizzy spells and coughing fits here and there but I just need to remember to take it easy. I’m not the type who likes to just chill out as I like to keep myself busy. Sometimes though you have to adapt to situations and in my case I had to do nothing in order to get better, and as of right now, I’m still recovering.

Right now I’m going to go and watch the latest episode of Dagashi Kashi and then watch Non Non Biyori back to back. =)

2016 has been good to me. I already like it more than 2015. I have lots of exciting things planned and I’m currently in the midst of doing those exciting things too.

My Story

My ultimate goal this year is to publish my story on Kindle. I’ve been reading a few children’s stories recently as part of my research and it has helped me a lot. I’ve completed many drafts but now it’s nearly finished. I’m nervous but excited about the prospect of self-publishing my very own story. =)

I also have a fantasy story in the pipeline but that is a humongous project and I won’t complete it anytime soon. I’m especially excited about that.

My Art

I’m continuing to upload my works on Deviant Art but I recently created an account at Pixiv.net. Pixiv, as far as I can tell, is like Japan’s version of Deviant Art but it seems that all the art on there is anime and manga orientated, where Deviant Art is all styles of art.

I’ve joined Pixiv around the New Year and so far my art has been very well received. I’ve been getting plenty of nice and encouraging ratings, bookmarks and even sticker comments. I’ve gained 5 followers in the process too. It makes me happy knowing that people like what I draw. =)

Speaking of drawing, I have a few drawing ideas. I’m planning to draw and create my own avatar/profile picture and/or a banner/wallpaper for my profiles for my Twitter page[1], my DeviantArt[2], my Pixiv[3], my MyAnimeList[4] and potentially for my Instagram[5].

I have a Tumblr too but I’m considering of deactivating that account as I’ve never really been on it.

I’m planning on drawing a simple face portrait of Alice Nakiri from Food Wars! for my Avatars. I can’t decide if I should use Alice Nakiri for all of my Social Media Avatars or if I should use just use it for a selected.

For my banner I’m planning on including a few characters; Cerea from Monster Musume, the four girls from Non Non Biyori, Ouka Ohtori from Anti-Magic Academy 35th Test Platoon, Mai Kawakami from Myriad Colors Phantom World and Kyouka Kagamin from Dragons Rioting. I have a good idea how the picture will look.

I recently practiced sketching Mai Kawakami so I can get used to drawing her. It took me a day but it was worth it as drawing her was a lot of fun. You can find the link just below if you’re interested to have a look. =)

My first Yoga session this year was with a lady called Becky. It was the first time that I participated in her yoga class but I very much enjoyed it. I usually struggle with sudden new faces but I really enjoyed it as the session was calm and relaxing.

I tried Pilates for the first time the other week after hearing that it’s very similar to Yoga. The Pilates class that I attended was not really enjoyable. There were lots of people around and the atmosphere was energetic, which I didn’t like. I was in agony a few days after the class to the point where it hurt to move. Haha.

I think after practising Yoga for many years I’ve come to appreciate the philosophy behind Yoga. I now prefer the quiet relaxing atmosphere and the calming of the mind rather than fast determined workouts. I can’t say that I’ve disliked Pilates as I’ve only tried it once, but I will try another class next week and see how I feel about it afterwards.

I may even try Rock Climbing, but I will see how I feel!

Kitacon 2016

I have bought a VIP ticket to attend Kitacon 2016. =) Kitacon 2015 was one of the biggest experiences in my life and I think this year’s Kitacon will be just as important.

I’m a bit nervous about it as it will mean spending time away from home again and potentially socialising with people who I’ve never met before in a very big building. I do have experience what it’s like and there will be things that I will do and won’t do again.

I intend to take lots of photos of Cosplayers as last year’s Cosplayers were awesome. I have no doubt they will be just as awesome this year. I even have plans of cosplaying as a certain person that went down well with a group of friends last year. Can you guess who I’m considering dressing up as? 🙂

I will worry and get anxious about this so the best thing for me to do right now is to not think about it and deal with it when April comes.

Anime Winter 2016

There was plenty of Anime for me to look forward to in 2015 but at this moment in time there hasn’t really been an Anime this year that has captured my interest.

I am watching two anime from this season’s line-up.

Myriad Colors Phantom World: I’m enjoying this so far. I think it’s funny and entertaining. All the girls are cute and have cool abilities. I especially like it how Reina eats up the rogue spirit people and how the battles conclude. The limbo challenge was fun to watch but it also shows that you don’t need to beat people up to win a battle. I thought that was rather cool and I will definitely watch this on a weekly basis. =)

Dagashi Kashi: What I liked about this show is that the background art and atmosphere reminds me a lot of Non Non Biyori, especially as Coconuts own a Candy Shop. =D I find it to be very eccentric and funny, especially Hotaru’s antics. Dagashi Kashi is completely different than Non Non Biyori plot wise, but like Non Non I think it will be very easy to watch and I think I will grow to like it. =)

THANKS FOR READING

I’ve been really enjoying myself so far and I’m especially proud as I’ve recently completed the illustration of Kirin Toudou, which you can see right at the top of the page. I feel that it’s definitely one of my best recent ones as it’s vibrant and colourful. I think I’m getting better at drawing as times goes by. For now, I will take a somewhat rest from drawing. It won’t be a long rest though. =)

I will now take it easy as unfortunately I caught a bug again after recovering after Christmas. I feel a bit dizzy and I have been coughing quite a lot but I’m not feeling sorry for myself as I am just watching Non Non Biyori and other anime that I’m catching up on. =)

There were plenty of anime that I enjoyed this year. In fact, the title of this blog is misleading as I wrote about 11 anime, instead of 10. Whoops! Haha. There’s just too many to blog about…

Anyway, here is my list of anime that I’ve enjoyed in 2015.

Anti-Magic Academy: The 35th Test Platoon

For me personally, this was refreshing to watch.

All the characters have burdens to carry. Takeru is especially good. He doesn’t try to change people’s perspectives like a cliché character but instead offers a hand and a shoulder to cry on. I think that’s definitely refreshing and that attitude has had an effect on the main girls around him.

This might have been dark at times but there was always a light at the end of the tunnel, especially with the humorous parts. This was definitely good to watch. =)

The Asterisk War

I really liked the action and duals in this series. Once more I found the visuals very colourful, especially as the main academy is near the water.

I found the fights to be eye-catching and sophisticated, especially the sounds effects and the swordplay. My favourite dual was Ayato vs Kirin as I enjoyed how they both cancelled each other out and I enjoyed seeing their swords clashing against each another. Kirin’s swordplay is definitely very cool and badass.

I think Kirin is cute but is very cool. I like that sort of character. In fact, I was actually motivated to draw a fanart of her. It’s in its colouring stages but it will be complete come the New Year. =)

Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma

I didn’t know what I was expecting when I first heard of the existence of Food Wars but I definitely wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did.

It’s like a humongous battle in a school among students but instead of physically battling with each other, it’s like having bake offs, but on a much larger scale. It may sound strange but I really enjoyed watching what the chefs cooked. They looked delicious and realistic.

I think it helps that this show has made me laugh on a numerous of occasions and all the ladies are very easy on the eye, especially when they visualise the food that they tasted. Haha.

High School DxD BorN

I’m a humongous fan of High School DxD and I did enjoy the third season.

This series did make me nervous more than the previous two as some of the characters completely snapped and went ballistic. That was rather sad and intense to see. However, it was all resolved in the end and everyone was sane and lived happily ever after, haha.

As well as the ladies being easy on the eye, the action, and the funny moments were good. However, what I especially liked was the character growth in Issei, Rias, Akeno and Koneko. All of those characters have been carrying burdens but in this series the weight of the burdens on their shoulders had been lifted. I was very pleased when I saw those moments. =)

I vote for Issei to become the Harem King. Haha.

Ps, I just want to make a shout out to Yoko Hikasa to congratulate her on her marriage. It’s a wonderful thing but I hope she stays in the industry as I can’t imagine anyone else to voice Rias.

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?

If I had a top five list than this show would probably be in it.

It had pretty much everything in it that I liked. It has a likable main character, a bunch of pretty girls, plenty of comedy values and good fights and action in the dungeon. It has that feeling of an RPG game as you don’t necessarily have to fight to earn gold coins. Plus, there’s a bunch of gods from different mythology coming together and forming their own familiars. Without a doubt, my favourite goddess is Hestia.

The story is good and has plenty of comedy, touching moments, exciting moments and situations that made me nervous. It’s a pity that a second season hasn’t been announced so far but I’m now collecting the Light Novels and the manga so it’s all good. =)

Non Non Biyori Repeat

I knew that the second season was going to be as good as the first season. I like it how there’s no strong plot, it’s just about a bunch of girls conveying their daily lives in the countryside. The addition of the new music and soundtrack was refreshing and added to this beautiful anime.

I watched this together with my Mum as she’s also a fan of Non Non. My bro is even started to watch it… my 2016 goal is to convert my entire family to Non Non Biyori. Haha! This is definitely among of my favourite anime of all time. With good reason too.^^/

Monster Musume

Admittedly I was nervous when it was announced that MonMusu was going to get an anime adaptation but to my surprise it was much, much better than I had expected it to be.

Everything in it happened exactly as it did in the manga with only a few cuts here and there. I was especially impressed with how they portrayed the characters. The show was both funny and quite touching at times.

I would welcome a second season but I don’t think it will happen for at least another year.

Shomin Sample

I found this anime to be extremely funny.

Poor Kimito has to pretend to have a muscle fetish in order to stay at a school in which he’s been kidnapped to stay in. Haha. It was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. I found the characters and the situations they got themselves into to be humorous and quirky.

All the ladies are socially inept as they don’t have a clue about the real world but I especially thought it was funny when Aika taught them and Reiko about “Gets”. The “Gets” gag was the underlining factor in this show. Haha.

SHIMONETA

I shouldn’t have found this funny, but I did.

There were plenty of innuendos and rude jokes in this anime and that is literally the main theme of this show. The antics of certain characters were both funny and disturbing at times. Haha.

I think it was an interesting concept how they tried to monitor everyone in an attempt to set good standards in modern society. Is that really good for the people though? I’m all for good standards but I personally think that that’s robbing people of their freedom and I think this show explores that very well, even if it is… crude. 😉

The Testament of Sister New Devil

I really enjoyed watching the two series back to back this year.

In some ways this show reminds me of High School DxD, and Mio especially reminds me of Rias. It’s because of the similarities that made me watch this show, and I’m glad that I did.

There’s a lot more action than I thought there was going to be and I feel that the risqué moments happen appropriately, rather than happen for the sake of making the viewers go blind. Haha. I think it’s a good story where Mio wants to live a normal life but it was never going to be easy as she is the daughter of the past devil king.

I’m sure one day she will live a peaceful life without any worries. =)

Anime in 2016

At this moment in time there’s no particular anime that has caught my eye to watch in 2016. I know The Asterisk War second season will be aired at some point in April but that’s about it. For now, I will just have to wait and see what comes along and go from there.

If you want to recommend an anime by all means do. I’ll be happy to hear from you. =)

To get into Totsuki Culinary Academy you have to be pretty skilled and pass the introduction test. However, even though the passing rate is like 1% or 10% there are still quite a lot of students attending, especially in the first year. Why so many? It turns out that the real test begins on this camp trip. More students will no doubt be expelled and sent home.

I was expecting to see Soma’s Dad there as he is probably one of the best chefs in the world. But, the chefs at that camp have to be alumni of that school and Jouichirou did not necessarily go to that school. I suspect he did though but it will probably be revealed later.

The Takumi twins and Erina appear to have passed the test no problem so it’s now up to Soma and Megumi to make sure that they pass the test. Out of the Polar Star Gang I hope Ryouko and Yuuki pass their tests as I’m rather fond of them. I wouldn’t mind if Shun passes too. As for Zenji and Shouji… I wouldn’t lose sleep if they failed. Haha.

I knew that Takumi was going to be arrogant and I was really pleased when he was brought down to size by Hinako, the adorable chef teacher. It was especially funny when Soma was taking the mickey out of him. Even Takumi’s twin brother, Isami, thought that Takumi made a fool out of himself. XD

THANKS FOR READING

I’m really looking forward to seeing what sort of dish Soma and Megumi come up with. I also hope we get more glimpses of Ikumi and we see more of Hinako, I think she really is cute. It was especially cute when she casually started to eat a packet of crisps on a side table. I don’t think many chefs would be that laid back.

I really enjoyed the first episode. It’s been a while since I’ve been excited for a new anime. My memory tells me that this episode covers 3-4 chapters from the Light Novel volume one. The first bit when Aiz saves Bell from that Minotaur is actually the prologue from the LN.[1]

Aiz is exactly how I pictured in my head. She’s super strong when she’s in battle mode but has a sweet innocent side when she’s not. I tend to have a thing for girls when they struggle to express themselves, and it looks like Aiz fits that category nicely. Naturally, Bell fell for her. I get the impression that Aiz is most vulnerable, if she ever lets her guard down, when it comes to eating. Food is the weakness for most people in the world.

I do like how Bell is perceived in the anime. He acts like a young boy who is full of enthusiasm and curiosity. He’s more innocent then I perceived him and I’m glad the anime made him this way. I felt sorry for him at times, especially when that cat dude was making fun of him. I don’t think there was any shame of being scared of that Minotaur. He can use that experience as a platform to get stronger. =) I must confess though, it was pretty funny when he ran through the street covered in a Minotaur’s blood. XD Eina’s lovely. She acts like an older sister, I think.

I’m glad the elf girl with green hair scolded the cat hair. I think her name is Riveria. She even punished him by suspending him in the air. I don’t remember that happening in the LN, so I better re-read the first volume. I really like her voice, it’s like she’s got a bit of a animalistic rasp whenever she speaks.

Hestia is much cuter and bubblier then I pictured from the Light Novels. I really like her voice; I think its spot on. She sounds like a more mature yet flirtier version of Mirai from Locodol. They are voiced by the same person, Inori Minase. Her facial expressions and reactions are really cute too, especially when she’s in teasing mode and jealous mode. Even if she does act hyper at times I do think she has a mature side, and we saw it when she carried Bell back to the bed. I liked her reaction to Bell when he “accepted” Hestia’s invitation to sleep in the same bed. Haha… Did anyone else notice how Hestia’s hand was on Bell’s bum? That was a convenient fall to my estimation. Haha.

I like Syr a lot more than I thought I would. In the Light Novels I sort of pictured her as demure as Yukimura from Haganai. However, in the anime she is bubblier than I thought she would be. I like her even more, and I thought it was sweet that she gave Bell her lunch so he wouldn’t starve. Slap a ring around her. Haha. Wait… what about Hestia and Aiz? I would say, slap a ring around them as well! Haha.

That’s the great thing of this show now. I can read the first book again and I would be able to appreciate it a lot more. I made my predictions what I thought the War Shadows were going to look like… I was dead wrong. Haha!

I like this show already. I’ve watched the same episode twice. I couldn’t contain my excitement when I saw this for the first time. Bell’s goal seems to be picking up girls in a dungeon and being their knight in shining armour. However, so far, he is the damsel in distress and Aiz is his knight in shining armour. I hardly think that matters though. It doesn’t matter what roles someone plays in the relationship, as long as it’s healthy and loving. =) I wonder if he will be able to interact with Aiz again?

Bell’s ability “Realis Phrase” is also unique and I think this gives him a nice balance in terms of ability of strength. This gives him the opportunity to grow stronger and he has improved his stats already upon his encounter with Aiz, much to Hestia’s dismay. Haha.

The opening song is pretty good. I try not to watch them in case I get spoiled. I liked the way Bell and Hestia brushed their teeth and swayed in unison. That brought a smile to my face.

I’m looking forward to the next episode, and I sincerely hope at some point that the anime will air the epilogue from the LN. The epilogue is touching and nearly brought a tear to my eye. =)

THANKS FOR READING

I’m now going to spend the rest of the day watching Football. The first game is Arsenal vs Liverpool. I’m looking forward to that game, it will be epic. =D

However, for now, I’m going to watch Food Wars. I’ve heard a lot of good things about that manga but instead of reading the manga, I decided to give the anime a watch first. =)
Thanks for Reading. =)
Sayonara.^^/